Alcohol in the form of beer, wine, spirits,
and ciders is consumed by many North Americans and by people in many other
cultures around the world. Drinking, like eating, or any social activity,
has some guidelines to help the participant get more enjoyment out of the
activity. Gobbling down half a chocolate cake at a party would not be considered
responsible eating or even polite in most cultures. The same goes for drinking.
Responsible choices concerning sensible drinking may mean not drinking,
such as when a person is sick, taking medications or being the designated
driver. Responsible drinking means that you never have to feel sorry for
what has happened while you were drinking. Basically, this means not becoming
drunk. The following are some hints to help you drink responsibly and derive
more enjoyment and pleasure from drinking if you choose to consume alcohol.

1. Know your limit. If you
do not already know how much alcohol you can handle without losing control,
try it out one time at home with your parents or friend present. Explain
to them what you are attempting to learn. Most people find that no more
than a drink an hour will keep them in control of the situation and
avoid drunkenness. Have your parents or fried videotape you while you are
attempting to see what happens when you consume more than the recommended
one drink per hour.

2. Eat food while you drink.
It is particularly good to eat high protein foods such as cheese and peanuts,
which help to slow the absorption of alcohol into the circulatory system.
Many cultures consume alcohol only with food to prevent various problems.

3. Sip your drink. If you gulp
a drink for the effect, you are losing a pleasure of drinking, namely tasting
and smelling the various flavors. This is particularly true for wine.

4. Accept a drink only when you really
want one. At a party if someone is trying to force another drink
on you, ask for ice or drink a non-alcoholic beverage.

5. Cultivate taste. Choose quality
rather than quantity. Learn the names of fine wines, whiskeys,
and beers. Learn what beverage goes with what foods.

6. Skip a drink now and then. When
at a party, have a nonalcoholic drink between the alcoholic one to keep
your blood alcohol concentration down. Space your alcoholic drinks out
to keep the desired blood alcohol concentration.

7. When drinking out, if you
must drive home, have your drinks with a meal, not
afterwards.
This allows time for the alcohol to be burned up and for it to be absorbed
slowly into the circulatory system.

8. Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Such
drinks as zombies and other fruit and rum drinks can be deceiving, as the
alcohol is not always detectable, and it is difficult to space them out.

9. Make sure that drinking improves
social relationships rather than impairs them. Serve alcohol as
an adjunct to an activity rather than as the primary focus. Have a German
night party rather than just getting together to drink beer.

10. Appoint a designated driver.
Have someone available who will not be drinking and will drive all drinkers
home. This is critical if the person has consumed more than one drink per
hour.

11. Use alcohol carefully in connection
with other drugs.This includes over-the-counter drugs such as sleeping
pills and cold or cough medicines. Alcohol should be avoided while taking
certain antibiotics, arthritic, anti-depressant, and many other prescription
medications. Check with your physician or pharmacy before you drink while
on any prescription drug.

12. Respect the rights of individuals
who do not wish to drink. It is considered impolite to attempt
to get people to drink who do not wish to. They may abstain for religious
or medical reasons, because they are recovering alcoholics, or they just
may not like the taste and effect it has on them.

13. Avoid drinking mixed drinks on
an empty stomach on a hot day. This might produce hypoglycemia,
which can cause dizziness, weakness, and mood change.

14. If you know that you will have
to drive after consuming alcohol, limit your consumption to no more than
one drink an hour. In reality many people who have a drink with
a meal have no other option other than to drive home. Consuming NO MORE
than one glass of wine, beer or mixed drink with a meal in a hour is
generally safe for driving.

15. Upper limit of drinks for
males is 21 and for females is 14 drinks per week.
Most studies suggest that these limits are safe for health. In older
individuals moderate drinking may help prevent against heart disease.
This amount, of course, is spread out over a weeks period. This means for
males no more than 2-3 drinks and for females 1-2 drinks per day preferably
with meals.

HINTS FOR PARTY HOSTING

Most people love to go to parties, and most
find that parties are fun to give. The following tips for being a responsible
host will give more pleasure to you and your guests.

1. Plan people movement. Make
sure that people can move around and meet each other. If it means putting
the sofa in a corner, do so.

2. The bartender. If you plan
to have a friend act as "bartender," make sure that he or she is not an eager
pusher who uses the role to put an extra shot in every's glass or keep
filling up half empty cups with more beer.

3. Pace the drinks. Serve drinks
at regular, reasonable intervals. A drink-an-hour schedule usually means
that good company prevails and you can avoid intoxication. Use small cups
for beer drawn out of kegs rather than large ones.

4. Don't double up. Many mature
and wise people count and pace their drinks. If you serve doubles, they
will be drinking twice as much as they planned. Doubling up is considered
rude.

5. Push the snacks. Make sure
that people are eating along with drinking. Have plenty of high quality
snacks such as cheese, meats, nuts, etc.

6. Don't push the drinks. Let
the glass be empty before you offer a refill.

7. Serve nonalcoholic beverages also.
Remember that many people do not drink and may be on medications or recovering
alcoholics. Make sure that you have something nonalcoholic to drink
such as good quality soft drinks, pop, and juice. Non alcoholic wine is
great for a formal dinner.

8. Closing the party. Decide,
in advance, when you want your party to end. At this time, stop serving
alcohol and serve coffee and a substantial snack. This provides some
non-drinking time before your guests drive home. Coffee does not
"sober up" intoxicated people and neither do cold showers. All you get
is a "wide awake and freezing drunk."

8.Don't allow intoxicated guests to
drive home. If you find that one of your frieds has consumed too
much alcohol, let them sleep at your house, have someone else drive them
home, or call a taxi. In some communities on special holidays such as New
Years even communites offer free taxi services.

Alcohol has been used by most cultures
and if you do chose to drink, please do so in a responsible, safe, sensible,
and healthy way.

This page and all files are (c) copyrighted by Ruth C. Engs and the
Trustees of Indiana University, Bloomington IN, 1996-2001.You are welcome
to use any information on this site for
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